Dorota Abdelmoula-Viet – Vatican
Physical person – from conception to natural death
On December 22, 2025, Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González Colón signed a law according to which a human being from conception is considered a “physical person” at every stage of life in the womb. A few days earlier, a law was signed according to which the killing of a pregnant woman is considered a double murder. Causing a miscarriage due to violence against a pregnant woman can also be considered murder.
Just a few weeks earlier, at the end of October, a law was also adopted according to which an abortion performed by a mother under the age of 15 can only be performed with the written consent of one of her parents or legal guardians.
Historic changes
Senator Joanne Rodríguez Veve speaks about the unprecedented nature of these changes in an interview with ACI Prensa, emphasizing that – although they were expected by society – until recently they met with strong opposition from the political environment. The signing of three laws protecting unborn children is a breakthrough, awaited for four decades.
For, although Puerto Rico has its own constitution, it is subordinate to the United States constitution, which, on the issue of abortion, liberalized Puerto Rican laws, especially since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. “Since then, Puerto Rico has had some of the most liberal abortion laws, allowing it to be performed at any time during pregnancy, at any age, and for any reason,” explains the senator.
A voice for human dignity
As Rodríguez Veve emphasizes, the historical changes have not only legal but also ontological significance, as they constitute an important argument in the debate about human dignity and subjectivity. “The message is firm: in the womb of a pregnant woman there is not an undefined object devoid of dignity, but a subject: a developing human being who possesses inherent dignity,” ACI Prensa quotes her words.
New regulations also regarding gender change
In 2025, laws concerning the biological gender change of a minor were also approved in Puerto Rico. According to them, no person under the age of 21 will be subjected to pharmacological or surgical procedures that change biological gender. “This law constitutes an absolute halt to the exploitation of minors to promote anti-scientific and unnatural ideas that cause irreversible physical harm,” emphasizes the senator.
